J&K: 25 Hindus Killed in Cold Blood by Islamist Terrorists: Remembering the Chapnari Massacre of June 19, 1998

On June 19, 1998, Islamist terrorists attacked the village of Chapnari in Doda district, Jammu and Kashmir, and killed 25 Hindu villagers in a brutal and heartless way. This brutal attack was part of a larger plan to create fear and drive Hindus out of the area.

 

The massacre was carried out by terrorists connected to the Pakistan-based group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). Indian leaders strongly condemned the attack, highlighting the constant danger of terrorism coming from across the border.

 

 

On that fateful evening, heavily armed terrorists infiltrated the peaceful village of Chapnari. The terrorists, equipped with automatic weapons, forcibly gathered the Hindu villagers. The victims were accompanying two marriage parties when they were attacked.

 

 

Without warning, the terrorists opened fire, executing the innocent men, women, and children at point-blank range. The brutality of the attack was shocking, with many victims shot multiple times to ensure they did not survive. This cold-blooded massacre left the small community devastated and in deep mourning.

 

 

The massacre resulted in the tragic loss of 25 Hindu lives, including men, women, and children. The victims were innocent civilians, targeted solely because of their religious identity. The attack not only caused immense grief and suffering for the families of the victims but also instilled a widespread sense of fear and insecurity among the surviving villagers.

 

 

The massacre drew immediate and strong condemnation from Indian leaders. Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah described the attack as “yet another barbaric act of Pakistan-sponsored terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir.”

 

 

India’s Home Minister, Lal Krishna Advani, who had recently assumed overall control of Indian policy in Jammu and Kashmir, condemned the killing of the villagers as “a clear attempt at ethnic cleansing.” He placed the responsibility for the attack, and other massacres of Hindus, squarely on Pakistan.

 

 

The Chapnari Massacre was one of many violent incidents that took place in Jammu and Kashmir during the 1990s and early 2000s. These attacks, carried out by Pakistan-backed terrorists, were meant to spread fear and were part of a larger plan for the ethnic cleansing of Hindus.